Two Show Corvettes

Two very different directions the Corvette might go — and what'll you bet they don't take the wrong one?

Ever since the present Sting Ray series went into production almost three years ago, we have cherished a little glimmer of hope — that the next Corvette would really "arrive" as an exemplary sports/GT car. The production Sting Ray comes close: it has an admirable chassis layout, replete with fine suspension, weight distribution, steering, brakes (now) and instrumentation. But it is too heavy, a bit too large, and overstyled to a degree that dulls its appeal to the discerning enthusiast. Now gives us a new Show Car which they hint might be an indication of Corvettes to come, as well as another car seen at a minor show without any fanfare or even comment.

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The first, called the Mako Shark II and shown for the first time at the 1965 New York Automobile Show, features such delectable items as "fire frost" finish, simulating the coloring of its namesake shark and changing from black at the roofline to dark blue on the sides to light gray at the bottom; not just retracting headlights but retracting windshield wipers, turn indicators, rear bumper and rear license plate holder; power-operated louvers that take the place of a lowly rear window; and the heavy 396-cu-in. engine. Press releases say that the rear bumper and license plate holder retract "for unbroken styling lines." But they didn't follow through and provide retractors for the various projections on the hood or the array of grids, chrome bars and pipes that adorn the car's sides. We would presume that the retracting items are intended for improving aerodynamics — if a logical reason must be found for them — but the weight of the retracting mechanisms would surely cancel any beneficial effect.

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There are some items that do seem noteworthy, though: an entire front section — hood and fenders — that raises as a unit for access to the engine, E-style; a tilt-and-telescope steering wheel, and a complete lack of exposed handles or knobs projecting from doors or the instrument panel. Other features are electrically adjustable headrests (suspended from the ceiling), a driver's adjustment for steering ratio, a rectangular steering wheel, electrically (again) actuated stabilizing flaps in the rear, flip-up roof for easy entry, stationary seats with adjustable pedals, and a plethora of warning lights and gauges. Length of the Mako is 9.5 in. longer than the production Sting Ray, height 3.5 in. lower, and the width the same. Weight of the car or details of its body construction have not been revealed.

The design of the body and the "styling" of it are, as so often with GM cars, two separate concepts. The basic lines are pleasing and exciting — squint your eyes and see. But styling gimmicks and details have been heaped upon it in such abundance that it's really difficult to see the lines. We suppose that this treatment is some kind of entertainment for the masses. Entertainment it is, in the same vein as comic books or pornography. No esthetic experiences here!

The second of the show cars is a competition Sting Ray roadster seen at a recent show at Notre Dame University (South Bend, Ind.). It appears to be a cut-down version of the lightweight competition coupes that appeared all too briefly in mid-1963, only to be canceled by a "re-affirmation" of GM's compliance with the AMA anti-racing pact.

Changes from the competition coupe, other than the removal of the top, include flared wheel openings to cover larger tires, a raised hood section to provide clearance for the stacks on four dual-throat Weber carburetors, opened-up front fender vents and a built-in headrest for the driver. The cockpit seems to be unchanged. Some of these alterations to the car, such as the wheel-well flares, came about while two of the cars were in active competition — the two cars released by GM after the project had been canceled. The Webers are new to us, as the first examples had fuel injection.

This car represents the type of development we're interested in seeing for the Corvette. Weight has been saved by various means. The standard box-section frame was replaced by one made of aluminum tubing; the body was formed by making a hand layup of thin glass cloth instead of the spray-nozzle application of chopped fibers used in production; and the engine has an aluminum block. The interior uses the standard instruments and steering wheel, and probably some weight has been saved in the instrument panel area. The effect is not nearly as stark as that of many such cars, however, and the cockpit looks quite well finished as well as purposeful.

The overall weight of the coupes and probably this roadster, 1870 lb. represents of course an extreme in weight-saving for racing purposes. But much of what is used here could be moderated in cost and still be feasible for reducing the weight of the production car. For instance, the tubular frame could be made of steel instead of aluminum and probably still save a lot of weight as compared with the production one.

Even though this car's concept antedates that of the Mako Shark by two years, we think that the roadster is a much more significant car. Our faith in Arkus-Duntov's engineering team tells us that future Corvette series will represent real progress, not just gadgetry.